BAT TRANG POTTERY VILLAGE

Bat trang pottery village is located along the banks of the Hong, in Gia Lam district, Ha Noi. Bat Trang means “a big yard” or a professional area”. The name of the village originated from Le dynasty and is combined among five famous family names in Bo Bat village and Minh Trang village such as: Tran. Vuong, Nguyen, Le, Pham. They decided to bring artisans, potters, families and the generations to Thang Long imperial city to set themselves up in business. They settled in 72 area in Minh Trang village. Nowadays, the village specializes in pottery items such as: household items, offering items, hand-made pottery…Here they still keep their secrets from the former generations, which makes their products have specific characteristics.

 How do you get there?
Bus is top priority. You should take the bus with number 47. The bus is the most convenient and cheapest.
From the bus stop in the city, you get one to Long Bien bus station, and then take the bus with number 47 to Bat Trang.
Motorbike: You can pass Chuong Duong bridge, Vinh Thuy Bridge or Thanh Tri bridge, then turn right and go along the banks of the Hong until you see the Bat Trang village board.
Water- way: Do the tour by boat on the Hong River at the weekend to visit Bat Trang village and Chu Dong Tu temple. It costs 17,5-20 USD/ person for this tour.
 What do you eat in Bat Trang?
Near the pottery market, there have a lot of stands; you can enjoy Bun Cha here, it’s quite delicious. Also, you can eat Banh Te with 6000 vnd/ two, or Banh San with 5000 vnd/one.
 Traveling in Bat Trang village
Immediately on arrival, you will walk from the entrance of the village to the village if you go by bus, and then go through the pottery shops to the village, next you can see a pottery market. If you go by motorbike, you drive straight to pottery village, and then you see a house where you can try to shape the pottery items and after finishing, you wait for drying, at that time, you can put it here and ask for watching, then walk around to visit the village and market.

Instead of walking around the village, you can go by buffalo car with 7,5-10 USD/one car for 10 people.
 Shape the pottery items:
There have a lot of families providing tourists with this service. You both play and learn how to make pottery.
Firstly, the owner gives you clay and a potter’s wheel, and then you put your clay in the middle of the potter’s wheel and freely make your object. Most visitors make a bowl, a cup, a plate.. If you are a skillful person, you can make animals. After that, dry your object within 30 minutes. Next, decorate for your product and finally, the potter will paint to keep your product durable. The price for one object is from 1,5 USD to 2.5USD.
 Bat Trang market
The market fully sells items divided into small kiosks for hand-made pottery items: items relating to worship, souvenirs, cups, bowls plates…If you want to do shopping, should go to the market and you will get a good deal.
 Families make pottery
From the entrance of the village to the village, there have a lot of families making pottery, you can visit them and ask them for the process to make pottery or the history of the village or watch only.
 Here is a schedule, you can consult:
8h00: Drive motorbike or take the bus to Long Bien station and then get the bus with number 47 to Bat Trang.
9h15: Get off, walk into the village, visit Bat Trang communal house of the village first, and then go to the families who make pottery to learn about the production process.
10h30: Go to the area surrounding to Pottery Market, come by someone’s house to shape the object and play here until your product is already dried, then have lunch.
12h30: Finish your lunch, come back to decorate for your items.
13h00: Visit market and buy souvenirs
14h00: Come back